Seventeen fall ill after eating snake bitten goat's meat

Tiruvallur: Seventeen people complained of nausea and giddiness after consuming meat of a goat which was reportedly bitten by a snake, a local health official said today.

They were discharged after treatment at a hospital, the official said. Villagers of Periyakadambur in Tiruttani Panchayat Union fell ill after consuming mutton late last night. The affected persons "found" that the meat they ate was of a goat owned by a farmer that was reportedly bitten by a snake.

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"Nausea is among the common symptoms of food poisoning. We do not know if the goat was bitten by a snake. If at all that was true, we do not know if that was a poisonous reptile," a Tiruttani health official said, requesting anonymity.

"The villagers say that the goat was bitten by snake. It may be true or may not be true. All the seventeen were treated and later sent home.

"Non-venomous rat snakes are common in Tiruttani region as farm lands are plenty here," he added. Tiruttani police said they were aware of the incident and declined to comment as there was no complaint.